And there is a Catskill eagle in some souls that can alike dive down into the blackest gorges, and soar out of them again and become invisible in the sunny spaces. And even if he for ever flies within the gorge, that gorge is in the mountains; so that even in his lowest swoop the mountain eagle is still higher than other birds upon the plain, even though they soar.
— Herman Melville, Moby-Dick
Moby Dick is now probably one of my favorite novels of all time. Took me till just a few years ago to read it from cover to cover. Tried many times to make my way through it but could only get through the first few chapters. It was a book entitled “All Things Shining,” which was about finding meaning through the great literary works of the west that finally got me to read it. Moby Dick was the author’s penultimate book for tackling meaning. The authors revealed just enough of the sublime quotes in the book to make me know I had to read the book from cover to cover, and I did. Ever since I carry one particularly sublime passage in my mind. The one where they get stranded in the middle of the pod of whales and it is as if they are experiencing the birthing center of the universe. I hope you know the passage. Its the one that ends with this quote:
“But even so, amid the tornadoed Atlantic of my being, do I myself still for ever centrally disport in mute calm; and while ponderous planets of unwaning woe revolve round me, deep down and deep inland there I still bathe me in eternal mildness of joy.”
Beautiful! I am actually reading Moby Dick right now. It is a slow starter; Melville’s voice is dense and Ishmael grows on you. But it is worth it for the jewels like this. Thanks for sharing.
Reblogged this on synkroniciti and commented:
The theme for the week is eagle and we begin with a new version of one of our first quotes, a marvelous selection from Moby Dick. Here’s hoping you get to soar this week, even if you are cutting through a dark place.